CHAPTER IX. 



WHEN DOGWOOD BLOOMS 



When May came there were still many flowers 

 In the woods that had begun to bloom in April; 

 and many others were unfolding that were stran- 

 gers to me, and whose names I did not know. The 

 little early spring blossoms that I had seen and 

 cared for like Hepaticas, Wind-flowers, Dutch- 

 man's Breeches, Saxifrage and Dog's-tooth Violet 

 were all gone, although Violets stayed, and so 

 many Spring Beauties were awake In the woods 

 that often I nearly stepped on them. Tommy 

 knew that Wake-robins still bloomed; but no girl 

 or boy had yet won Grandmother's prize by find- 

 ing one. The woods In May quite lost their bare 

 look; most of the dried leaves had blown away, 

 and tall weeds and grasses sprung up everywhere. 

 I thought It more difiicult to find wild flowers than 

 when the ground was bare. 



But there Is one flower now In the woods which 

 every one must see. It is Dogwood, a large white 

 blossom that comes on shrubs or small trees. Now 

 that it Is In bloom the woods look gayer than if 

 they were going to a party. These blossoms can 

 be seen from a long way off, and no one could 

 help thinking that they made the country beauti- 

 ful, even if he didn't love flowers. 



I used to think that Dogwood blossoms had four 



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